


Lost and Found

by fallenangel218



Category: NCIS
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Family, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-03
Updated: 2014-07-16
Packaged: 2018-02-07 07:27:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1890186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fallenangel218/pseuds/fallenangel218
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gibbs gets some shocking news when the evidence in a current case points to someone he never knew to exist.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written and posted on the NFA... re-posting here. :)

Abby rushed back and forth in her lab as her Babies beeped. She was running a few tests at once for her silver-haired Fox, and she knew he’d be down soon to ask her what she’d found. They were working the case of a murdered Petty Officer, and the evidence had led them to believe he’d been murdered by a woman. Abby was presented with DNA evidence from the victim’s clothing, along with other assorted goodies for her to process.  
As she analyzed the results from Major Mass Spec, her computer beeped behind her, announcing the result of a DNA sample she’d been running. She turned around and looked at the results on the screen. 

“This can’t be right,” she said to herself as she started to type. “I have to run this again.” She started the DNA matching again, and it came back quicker than the first time. It came back with the same result. 

“This is impossible!” 

“What’s impossible?”

Abby turned around to see Gibbs standing there, holding a super-sized caf pow. She took it from him and took a long sip. 

“I’ve run the DNA twice, and I get the same result.” 

“Which is…”

Abby stepped aside and let him look.

“Abby, how could it be my DNA?” Gibbs asked. “Are you sure you ran it right?”

“I’m completely sure! It was the only viable DNA sample I could get off the uniform!” 

“So where does this leave us?” 

“If it isn’t you, than it’s got to be someone you’re related to,” Abby said. “The test wasn’t a perfect match for you. It only came back with one allele in common.” 

“What are you telling me, Abby?” 

“The owner of this DNA is related to you, Gibbs.”

“How is that possible? My Dad is the only relative I have within 1000 miles.” 

“I’m not sure. I can do some digging, if you’d like.” 

Gibbs was silent, staring at the DNA on the screen.

“Gibbs?” 

“Yeah, Abby, look into it. Do not tell anyone about this. I want to know first.”

“Of course, El Jefe!” 

Gibbs turned and left the lab as Abby went back to her work. As he waited for the elevator, he couldn’t help but wonder who she’d find. What were the chances that the DNA she’d get would be so close to him, especially since the only relative he had living anywhere close to DC was his father. His only other relative is an eccentric Aunt who lives in a nursing home in Stillwater. Neither of them could possibly be a murderer, and Gibbs himself was in the squad room at the time of the murder, with more than a dozen people to verify it. 

_So who the hell could it be, if it’s not me, Jackson or Aunt Hattie?_

“Boss?”

Gibbs came out of his daze to an open elevator, and McGee staring at him. He stepped in without a word, and   
McGee stepped out, bewildered. Scratching his head at Gibbs’ strange behavior, he headed into the lab to join Abby. 

“Hey Abby!” he said as he approached her lab table. “What are you working on?” he asked curiously.

“Nothing!” she said, lowering the screen from his view. “Absolutely nothing!” 

“Come on, Abby, that was the worst lie ever. You can tell me.”

“Gibbs told me not to tell a soul,” she said, pretending to zip up her lips. 

“He did seem bothered when I bumped into him at the elevator,” Tim noted. “Is something wrong with Gibbs?”

“No, he’s fine. This test is just, personal,” she said. 

“You’re so bad at lying,” Tim said with a grin. “Don’t make me hack in to find out…”

“You wouldn’t!” 

“You know I could,” he said, waggling his eyebrows. 

“You’re a big jerk, you know that, Tim?”

“I try.”

She turned and brought up her DNA testing and research. 

“This is the DNA test from the Petty Officer’s clothes. I found a weird anomaly, and I’m trying to rule some stuff out before I discard it.”

“Can I help out?” 

“You’re not even supposed to know!” 

“He isn’t even down here, Abby. He’ll never know.” 

“All right, fine, you can help. But not a word to anyone, or I will kill you.” 

“Understood.” 

Abby continued her search. 

“The DNA came up with one allele in common with Gibbs, which means—“

“The killer is related to Gibbs.” 

“Correct! What I’m trying to find out is who this person is, since the only relative he has is his father, who is obviously not a murderer.”

“And Gibbs was in the squad room that night, with us,” Tim pointed out. Abby glared at him. “But he obviously wasn’t the murderer, so I’m not even going to consider him.”

“So who is our mystery person?”

“Were there prints on the uniform?” Tim asked.

“A couple, but I’m still running them through—“ 

As she said it, Major Mass Spec beeped. She went and retrieved her data.

“I’ve got a fingerprint match.” She put it up on the screen. “Meet Lena Summers,” Abby said. “Age 45, married with one child, owns a Florist shop in DC.”

“So, is it her DNA we have, and if so, how is she related to Gibbs?” Tim asked.

“There was one allele in common.” It hit her, and her eyes went wide in realization. “Oh my, I think she’s Gibbs’ sister!” 

“Sister? He doesn’t have any siblings.” 

“She’s probably a half-sister, Tim. There weren’t enough alleles in common for them to be full siblings.”

“We can’t prove that it’s definitely her DNA, unless we get a physical swab from her,” Abby said. “Would you mind calling El Jefe and tell him to come down, Timmy?”

“And let him find out that you told me before him? No way!”

“Fine, I’ll call him.” 

Abby picked up the telephone and dialed Gibbs’ extension.

“I’ve got something you might need to see, Gibbs.”

**TBC…**


	2. Chapter 2

“I have a _what?_ ” Gibbs asked in disbelief as Abby and Tim showed him their findings. 

“We don’t know for sure if this is her DNA, but the fingerprints are definitely hers, Boss,” Tim said. Gibbs glared at Tim in return. He was obviously still angry about Tim knowing about the DNA. Tim took it as his cue to shut up, and turned to Abby. 

“I have the address of her flower shop right here, Gibbs,” Abby said, holding up a piece of paper. “I figured you’d want to do this alone.”

Gibbs snatched the paper and read the address. He passed that flower shop regularly on his way into work. He’d even bought flowers there a few times. 

“McGee, you’re with me,” Gibbs finally said, heading for the door. Tim scurried after him. Abby shook her head and resumed her work on the rest of the evidence.

NCISNCISNCIS

Gibbs didn’t say a word to Tim until they got in the car. 

“Tell me what you know,” Gibbs said as he started the sedan. 

“I know everything that Abby told you, Boss. Her name is Lena, she’s married and has two children. Her file said she owns a Flower Shop.”

“Why was she in the system?” Gibbs asked.

“It was a minor misdemeanor back in the late 80s. From what we found, I can’t see a woman like this being a murderer.”

“We’ll just have to see about that,” Gibbs said as he drove along, looking for the flower shop. “Prints on a dead body is not a coincidence.” 

The rest of the ride was awkwardly silent. Gibbs pulled up in front of Sonoma Flowers. It was a beautifully decorated place. There were hanging baskets out front, bursting with petunias and assorted flowers, and potted colorful daisies on either side of the front door. The combination of scents assailed Gibbs as he entered the shop, Tim trailing behind him.

There was a teenage boy sitting behind the counter, engrossed in a magazine. His feet were up on the register, and he was reclined in a chair, with his iPod blasting music loud enough for Gibbs to hear across the room. He was wearing a Metallica t-shirt and baggy jeans, and sported a sideways baseball cap.   
Gibbs slapped his hand on the counter, hoping to get the boy’s attention. When he didn’t flinch, he took it upon himself to walk behind the counter, and hold his badge in front of the kid’s face. Upon seeing it, the boy jumped to his feet and tore off his headphones.

“C-can I help you?” he said nervously.

“What’s your name?” Gibbs asked.

“Ian.”

“We’re looking for the owner, Ian. Is she here?”

“Yeah, she’s in the back room. One second.” Ian leaned over the counter in front of Tim. “Mom!” he shouted obnoxiously, at the top of his lungs. Seconds later, a woman came out of the back room. She had long, blonde hair, and eyes as blue and piercing as Gibbs’. 

“What’s the matter, Ian?” she said as she approached. Gibbs and McGee held badges up for her. 

“NCIS?”

“Naval Criminal Investigative Service, ma’am,” Tim expanded. Gibbs glared at him and turned back to the pretty blonde in front of him.

“Lena Summers?” he asked.

“That’s me! How can I help you boys?”

“Can we talk privately?” Gibbs asked.

“Sure, come on back to my office,” Lena said with a smile. Gibbs and Tim followed her back to the tiny office. As they went in, Gibbs turned to McGee. 

“Could you wait out here?” 

Tim nodded. Gibbs went in and closed the door behind him.

“What’s on your mind, Agent Gibbs?”

“We’re investigating a murder of a Petty Officer,” he said, taking a picture from the file he was holding. “His name is Jason Carney.” 

“What does this have to do with me?” Lena asked as she looked at the picture.

“We found your fingerprints on the victim’s uniform.” 

Lena studied Gibbs for a moment. She had a glare that would rival his own. She looked back at the picture, and finally handed it to Gibbs. 

“He came in here not too long ago. He was picking up an order for six boutonnieres. I remembered seeing his uniform and wondering how he could get along with it being in shambles like it was.”

“His uniform was damaged?” Gibbs asked.

“His coat was torn badly. I felt bad for him, so I offered to sew the rip. That’s probably how you found my prints.” 

Gibbs scribbled some notes in his pad. 

“Anyone else in the shop that day?”

“Just me and my son.”

“If you are all right with it, I’m going to have Agent McGee come in and take a swab for DNA, so we can rule everyone out.” 

“You don’t think I—“

“It’s just a precaution, ma’am. Nothing to worry about.”

“All right, you can do it.” 

Gibbs nodded and left the office. Tim was waiting for him outside the office. 

“Get a DNA swab from Ms. Summers and meet me out front.” 

With that he headed out to the front of the shop. The kid had resumed his position, headphones and all. Gibbs shook his head. He noticed an empty glass sitting on the glass countertop. Gibbs casually leaned on the counter. Sliding a fresh swab from his pocket, he broke the plastic wrap on it and traced the rim of the glass. He quickly sealed the sample and put it back in his pocket. Thankfully, the kid didn’t notice. Seconds later, Tim came running out. Lena was at his heels.

“Get out of my store! Now! Both of you!” 

Gibbs grabbed Tim by the arm and practically dragged him out the door.

“What in the hell happened in there?” He asked.

“All I did was take a DNA sample, I swear!” Tim said defensively.

“Spit it out, now.” 

“She started accusing me of trying to cop a feel when I leaned over to take the swab. I tried to tell her I didn’t, but she wouldn’t listen.” 

Gibbs rolled his eyes.

“For the love of… how do you manage to get into so much trouble, McGee?”

“I’ve probably been hanging out with Tony too much,” he said with a smirk. “Boss, if she’s not your sister, I’ll be shocked.” 

“We’ll let the DNA decide. Let’s get these samples back to Abby.” 

“Samples?”

Gibbs took the sample from his pocket.

“From the kid.”

Tim took it and bagged it, and they left.

NCISNCISNCIS

“Can’t this thing go any faster, Abby?” Gibbs said impatiently as the DNA samples ran through one of Abby’s machines. He’d sent Tim back up to his desk, after swearing him to secrecy about the afternoon’s events.

“Don’t rush perfection!” Abby said, watching the test as it ran. It finally beeped, and Abby jumped out of her chair. “It’s done!”

Gibbs joined her at the computer as she analyzed it.

“Well?” 

“The DNA you took from Lena has one allele in common with yours. She’s your half-sister, which makes Ian your nephew.” 

Gibbs stared at the results on the screen. How could this be possible? 

“D-Do either of those samples match the DNA on the body?”

“The DNA from the body came back as a perfect match to Ian Summers. Your nephew.”

Gibbs fell onto the stool behind him. Not only did he have to go and tell a woman that he was her long-lost brother, but he also would have to arrest his nephew for suspicion of murder. 

_This case is blown to hell._

**TBC…**


	3. Chapter 3

Gibbs sat at his desk, staring at Ian Summers’ record. The kid was only picked up twice, and both times were for petty theft. Gibbs found it hard to believe he’d commit murder. He looked up from his computer. 

“McGee! What do you have on our suspect?” he asked. 

“Ian Summers, age 16. Only arrested twice for petty theft—“

“I already know that. Tell me something else.” 

_Anything else._

“It says here that he was a straight A student until his junior year of high school, until he switched schools. His attendance faltered after that, and his grades suffered. He’s been spotted with the street gang called Los Lobos. The robberies he committed had nothing to do with the gang, though.”

Gibbs rubbed a hand over his face. Why did this have to be so damned complicated?

“Keep looking, McGee. I’ll be right back.” 

Gibbs got up and went to the elevator. As soon as he was alone inside, he pulled out his cell phone and dialed his father’s phone number.

_“Leroy… how are you, Son?”_

“Tell me about Lena,” Gibbs said quickly. Jackson hesitated for a moment. “Don’t even try to think up a lie, Dad. I want to know about my sister.”

_“Can we talk in person?”_

“I need to know now. I’m in the middle of a case.”

 _“I’m not going to tell you a damn thing until you learn how to talk to me with a little respect!”_

Jackson hung up loudly in his son’s ear. 

Gibbs looked down at the phone. He wouldn’t be getting any answers from Jackson anytime soon. He was going to have to confront Lena himself and tell her everything. He dialed another number as he turned the elevator back on. 

“McGee, meet me downstairs at the sedan, and bring a copy of Abby’s DNA results.” 

 

NCISNCISNCIS

 

“What are you going to tell her, Boss?” McGee asked as he and Gibbs headed for the flower shop.

“The truth.” 

“She’s going to skin you alive.” 

“Before or after she shoots you for coming onto her, McGee?” 

“Point taken.” 

The remainder of the ride was silent. Gibbs ran through a dozen scenarios in his head. None of them came out good for him. This was going to be more difficult than he thought.

They pulled up at the flower shop few minutes later. A young girl was out front with a hose, watering the assortment of flowers that had been set out on display. She had long, honey blonde hair and striking blue eyes, and looked to be about twelve. Gibbs got out of the car, followed by Tim, and walked casually up to her.

“Hi, is Lena here?” he asked.

“She’s inside,” the girl said, smiling. “Are you looking to buy some flowers?” 

Gibbs smiled. 

“My friend is looking to buy some flowers for his girlfriend,” he said, hitching a thumb at Tim. 

“Come on, I’ll show you where we keep the prettiest ones,” she said, motioning for Tim to follow her. Tim smiled and went with her. Gibbs grinned and went inside the shop. Lena was behind the cashier’s counter, making an arrangement of orchids. Ian did not seem to be around. She looked up when he came into the store.

“Agent Gibbs! How can I help you?” she said with a smile.

“Please, call me Jethro,” he said.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of your company, Jethro?” 

“I need to speak with you about something important.” 

“What’s the matter? Is it the DNA test?”

“Actually, yes.” Gibbs held out the folder to her. “I think you need to see this.”

Lena took the folder and opened it on the counter. Gibbs stood quietly as she read, nervous as hell. When she finished, she looked up at him, puzzled.

“Did I read this correctly?”

“Yes.”

“So you and me—“

“Siblings.”

Lena fell onto the stool behind her.

“Oh my God.” 

“I know.”

“How—how did we not find each other before?”

“I don’t know.” He put his hands on the counter. “The last way I wanted to find out I had a sibling was through a murder investigation, believe me.” 

“Your investigation… did my DNA clear me?” 

“Yeah.. that’s the other thing I need to talk to you about.”

“As if telling me you’re my brother isn’t shock enough?”

“The DNA wasn’t yours… it belongs to your son.”

“What!” she jumped out of her seat. “You think my son is a murderer? Have you lost your mind?” 

“I need to talk to him, to find out what he was doing that night. He isn’t guilty until I prove that he did it. Is he here?”

“No, he isn’t. If you want to bring him in, good luck finding him.”

“He doesn’t work here?” Gibbs asked.

“Oh, he does, when I can get him to stay. He’s been pulling this crap for years.” 

Gibbs took a business card from his pocket and set it on the counter.

“When he comes home, will you call me?”

“You’re asking me to turn in my own son?” 

“I’m only doing my job, Lena. Please…”

“I’ll think about it. I think you should go now.”

As Gibbs turned toward the door, it opened, and Tim came through, following the young girl. 

“Mom! I sold a bouquet of orchids!” 

“To him? I thought I told you not to come here again, Agent.” 

“McGee is the most harmless guy you’ll ever meet. Cut him some slack, Lena.”

Tim handed her some cash for the flowers. 

“Your little girl is an excellent salesperson,” he said politely. 

“Joanna learned from the best,” Lena said, smiling. She turned back to Gibbs.

“I need some time to process all of this.”

“I understand.” He motioned to his business card. “Call me.”

She nodded.

“Let’s go, McGee.”

Gibbs turned and left the shop, McGee following behind. Lena looked down at the business card he’d given her. How could it be possible that she had a brother, and didn’t know about it? There was one person who would be able to answer her questions. She grabbed the phone off its cradle and dialed a familiar number.

“Hi Mom… I need to talk to you about something…”

NCISNCISNCIS

Gibbs immediately noticed the figure sitting on his front porch when he got home that evening. He laid his hand on the gun at his hip as he got out of the truck. As he got closer to the porch, the figure came into focus, and he relaxed.

“Dad… what are you doing here?”

“You and I need to talk, Leroy.”

**TBC…**


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: I’ll be calling Gibbs “Jethro” in this chapter when he’s in a scene with Jackson. The rest of the time, he’ll be referred to as Gibbs.

Jethro helped his father up and they went inside. 

“Why didn’t you call when you got into town, Dad?” Jethro asked as he closed the door behind them. Jackson reached up and head slapped his son.

“That’s for disrespecting me on the phone.”

“I’m sorry, Dad. This whole case… finding out about Lena… it’s been weighing on my mind. Why didn’t you tell me I had a sister?” 

Jackson sat down on the couch, and beckoned for his son to join him. Jethro sank down next to him.

“I met Margaret a few months after your mother died. I’d convinced myself it was just for the companionship, but I fell in love with her. I saw her for two years before we parted ways. When she realized I was in love with her, she got scared and left. She never told me she was pregnant. She called me after she had Lena, and told me everything. She moved to Pittsburgh after that. I tried to keep in contact with her, and Lena, but she stopped taking my calls.”

“How is it that I don’t remember Margaret?” Jethro asked. 

“You were never around much back then. I figured you wouldn’t want to know who your old man was dating, so I never told you.”

“You could have told me I had a sister!” Jethro shouted. “I deserved to know!” 

“What would you have done if I told you that you had an illegitimate sister that you would probably never get to meet?”

“I would have tried to find her, Dad! Something like that isn’t something you keep to yourself!” 

Jethro pushed himself to his feet and stalked toward the kitchen.

“Where are you going, Leroy?” Jackson asked. 

“Basement.” 

Jackson heard a door slam moments later. He pushed himself to his feet and shuffled toward the spare bedroom.

“I hope he at least has clean sheets on the bed,” Jackson thought.

~*~*~*~

Gibbs punched his bucket of nails, sending them flying off his workbench. They scattered all over the floor. He could feel his heart pounding. How could his father not tell him all these years about Lena? He reached for the bottle of bourbon on the workbench and poured himself a glass as he picked up his sandpaper. It was going to be a long night. 

 

NCISNCISNCIS

 

Jethro awoke the next morning with a massive headache, and an aching body. He sat up, and realized that he’d fallen asleep at his workbench. He stretched and got to his feet. He could hear his father walking around upstairs. Heaving a sigh, he turned and slowly made his way upstairs. The smell of bacon assailed his senses as soon as he opened the basement door. 

“I figured you might be hungry,” Jackson said as he turned the sizzling bacon with a fork. “There’s coffee ready.” 

He nodded and made a beeline for the coffee pot. Jethro leaned against the counter, sipping his coffee silently. Jackson continued to cook.

“How do you like your eggs, Leroy? I can’t remember.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“You never are, but you’re going to eat anyway. It’ll help that hangover of yours.”

Jethro lowered his eyes.

“I know a hangover when I see one, son. You can’t hide it from me.”

“Scrambled,” was all Jethro could say at the moment. Being hung over in front of his father was not one of his proudest moments. 

The kitchen was silent as Jackson finished preparing breakfast. He set a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon and toast on the table for his son. Jethro sat down and picked at his food. He still wasn’t sure what to say to his father. He was still raging inside for Jackson not telling him about Lena, but he couldn’t bring himself to be visibly angry about it.

They ate in silence. Jackson read the newspaper, completely ignoring his son. Jethro quietly ate, and sat back with his coffee when he was finished.

“You still cook your bacon the same, you know.”

Jackson lowered his newspaper.

“What?”

“The bacon. It was extra greasy. You always made it that way when I was a kid.” 

“You always liked it that way.”

Jethro stood up and picked up the plates.

“Thank you for breakfast.”

“You’re welcome.” 

Jethro started to run water for the dishes, but Jackson stopped him.

“I’ll wash them. Go get ready for work.”

“Dad, I can do the dishes.”

“I’ve got it. Just go.”

“All right.”

Jethro stepped aside and let his father start the dishes. He still had some questions, but he’d have to save them for later. 

NCISNCISNCIS

McGee was the only one in the bullpen when Gibbs arrived. It was close to 8 a.m. He looked up as Gibbs made his way quietly to his desk.

“Everything all right, Boss?” 

“Fine, McGee. What do you have for me on the case?”

“The BOLO Tony put out last night paid off. LEOs picked up Ian Summers trying to break into a neighborhood market near the florist shop. Tony’s got him in interrogation right now.”

Gibbs jumped out of his chair and started toward the back elevator. He stopped briefly at McGee’s desk. 

“Good job, McGee.”

“Thanks, Boss. If you need anything…”

“I know, McGee.”

“Good.” 

Gibbs turned and rushed toward the back elevator. It was time he got some answers from his nephew about what the hell happened to that Marine.

**TBC**


	5. Chapter 5

Gibbs stood behind the glass in Observation, watching his nephew. DiNozzo was interrogating the boy, and Gibbs would let him, for the time being. Ian looked scared. He was gripping the water DiNozzo had brought him with fervor, obviously anxious to get out of that room. He turned up the audio so he could hear the interrogation.

_“Ian, I want to help you, but I can’t do that unless you tell me what you were doing the night Jason Carney was killed.”_

_“Don’t answer him, Ian,” the boy’s lawyer, a slick bastard named Joseph Sanders, piped up._

_“You aren’t helping,” Tony snapped at the attorney._

_“He doesn’t have to tell you people anything,” Sanders said, sliding his chair to stand up. “Now, if you don’t have any solid evidence that my client killed Petty Officer Carney, we’re going to leave right now.”_

_Tony stood up to be at level with Sanders._

_“We’ve got his fingerprints on a dead body. How do you explain that?”_

_“I-I can explain,” Ian said from his seat at the table. The two men turned to him._

_“Ian—“_

_“No, Mr. Saunders. I need to explain myself. It’s okay.”_

_“Well?” Tony asked, crossing his arms._

_“Jason is my friend Jeremy’s older brother,” Ian said, squirming in his seat. “I was working in the shop that night. Jason came in. He accused me of trying to lure Jeremy into joining a gang. I told him where to stick his accusations, and he punched me in the face. I kicked his ass real good for that. He took off around ten-thirty.”_

_“Did he come back?” Tony asked._

_“No. I never saw him again. I didn’t even know he was dead until those Feds came into the flower shop the day after.”_

_Tony perked up. That was news to him._

_“Feds?”_

_“Yeah. There was a gray haired dude. He punched the glass counter and scared the shit out of me. Had some punk with him as backup.”_

_“He was an NCIS agent?”_

_“Actually yeah. I think his name was Gibbs. He’s a friend of my mother’s, I think.”_

Gibbs made for the door to interrogation. The kid was going to blab everything. He burst into the interrogation room moments later, but he was already too late. Tony turned to Gibbs with an incredulous look on his face. 

“Ian, I’m going to step outside and speak with Agent Gibbs. We’ll be right back.”  
Ian nodded. Tony pushed past Gibbs and left the room. Gibbs followed. As soon as the door was closed, Tony turned on his Boss.

“When were you going to tell me we were investigating your nephew?” Tony demanded.

“Right now he’s a suspect.” 

“Vance is going to take this case away from us, Boss! Remember what happened to McGee when we investigated his sister?”

“McGee and his sister are close. I didn’t know I had one until a couple of days ago, DiNozzo. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to find a killer.”

“I don’t think that kid killed anyone, Gibbs. All he’s guilty of is getting into a fight with a Marine.”

“Where’s my son!”

Tony and Gibbs both looked up. Lena was storming down the hall toward them, fuming. McGee was trotting after her.

“I’m sorry, Boss! She got ahead of me—“

“I don’t want to hear a damn word out of any of you unless you can tell me where my son is!” 

Gibbs stepped forward. 

“Lena—“

She slapped Gibbs across the face. 

“You lied to me! You said you wouldn’t bring him in!”

“I didn’t pick him up! The local police did!” 

“Why didn’t you call me!” 

“I have a job to—“

“I don’t give a shit about your job, Leroy! My son didn’t kill anyone. You had him brought here and you’re interrogating him like he’s some kind of criminal!”

“The police arrested him for breaking into a convenience store on a street corner near your shop! He’s a thief!” Gibbs shouted.

“I’m taking my son home, now. You have ten seconds to tell me where he is, Leroy.”

Gibbs motioned to the door on his left, that lead into interrogation. Lena pushed past him and tried to open the door. Gibbs stopped her.

“I can’t let you go in there. No civilians allowed.”

Lena elbowed him in the gut, and he stumbled backward.

“You’re not going to stop me from seeing my son.” Lena opened the door to interrogation. Tony followed her in.

“Ian, are you all right, honey?”

Ian stood up and hugged his mother.

“I’m fine, Mom.”

Lena turned to Tony, her eyes still heated with anger.

“Is my son free to go?”

“Y-yeah. He can go.”

Lena dragged her son out of the interrogation room, and past a speechless Gibbs in the hallway. McGee followed after them to escort them out.

Gibbs’ phone rang moments after Lena and Ian left. 

“Yeah, Gibbs.”

“Get your ass to my office, Gibbs,” Vance grated into the phone. 

Gibbs swore.

_What else can go wrong today?_

 

NCISNCISNCIS

 

Gibbs strode into Vance’s office and closed the door behind him. 

“Sit down.”

Gibbs sat.

“Explain to me what the hell is going on, Agent Gibbs.” 

“We’re investigating the murder of a Petty Officer. Ian Summers fought with the victim the night he was killed. We had to consider him a suspect.”

“When were you going to tell me that the suspect was related to you?” 

Gibbs remained silent.

“How long have you known he was a suspect, Agent Gibbs?”

“Monday morning. Abby’s results on the DNA matched mine. More research found prints on the body that matched Ian Summers. Agent McGee and I went to the Flower Shop where he worked, and obtained a DNA sample. It was a match.”

“You knew about it for two days? Why didn’t you come to me!” 

Gibbs fell into silence again. He wasn’t sure how to explain this whole mess. Vance picked up the phone and dialed an extension.

“Agent DiNozzo, you have point on the Carney investigation. Find me a killer.” Vance hung up the phone, and turned his attention back to Gibbs.

“I’m benching you, Agent Gibbs. You’re not to have contact with Ian Summers or anyone associated with this case, until it’s solved. Am I clear?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Get out of my office.”

Gibbs got up and left the office in a huff. As he walked across the balcony to the stairs, he caught DiNozzo staring at him.

“What’s the matter?”

“What the hell happened up there?”

“You have point on this one, DiNozzo,” Gibbs said as he came into the bullpen. 

“I know. Vance told me.” 

Gibbs didn’t say anything as he sat down at his desk and started going through paperwork. Tony observed him for a moment, and then all the pieces clicked into place. He got up and went over to Gibbs’ desk.

“Boss… did Vance bench you?”

Gibbs nodded, but didn’t look up at his Senior Agent. 

“Holy… this has never happened before.”

“Just find the damn killer, DiNozzo.” Gibbs got up and grabbed his coat. 

“Going for coffee?”

“I’m going home. I’m tired. Update me in the morning.” Gibbs took off for the elevator before Tony could respond.

NCISNCISNCIS

When he pulled into his driveway, Gibbs noticed someone sitting on his porch. It was too small to be his father. He slowly made his way up the driveway. When the motion light kicked on, it illuminated the figure on the porch, and he stopped short. 

“Joanna, what are you doing here?”

**TBC**


	6. Chapter 6

**previously…**

_“Joanna, what are you doing here?”_

**Now…**

Joanna got to her feet as Gibbs approached her.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

“My carpool dropped me off after school.”

“It’s six o’clock. You’ve been out here for three hours?”

“I kept myself busy. Are you mad?”

Gibbs couldn’t help but smile. 

“I’m not mad. Come inside. It’s getting chilly out.” 

He ushered the teenager into the house and shut the door behind them. 

“Does your Mom know you’re here, Joanna?” Gibbs asked as he hung up his coat. Joanna remained silent. “So she doesn’t know then,” he asked, turning to face her. She shook her head. He took out his phone and flipped it open. 

“Don’t call her!” Joanna shrieked.

“What? Why?”

“I don’t want her to know I came to you, Uncle Jethro.”

Gibbs hesitated. 

_Uncle Jethro? It’ll take some getting used to._

“Mom told me.”

He nodded his approval. 

“Why don’t you want your Mom to know you’re here?” he asked.

Joanna walked over and sat on the couch, looking uncomfortable. Worried, Gibbs went over and sat next to her. 

“What’s wrong?”

She shook her head, tears threatening to fall. Gibbs could feel his heart breaking. If it were Kelly sitting next to him, he’d have his arms around her in a heartbeat. But this wasn’t Kelly. This was his niece, whom he’d only known for two days. Hugging was out of the question. 

“Leroy?” 

Gibbs and Joanna looked up. Jack was standing in the living room entrance.

“Who’s that?” she asked.

“That is your Grandpa Jack,” Gibbs replied. “He’s my father.” He turned to his father. “Dad, this is Joanna, Lena’s daughter.”

“Why did he call you Leroy?” she asked. “I thought your name was Jethro.”

“Leroy is my first name,” Gibbs explained. “I’d rather be called by my middle name.”

“Good. I’m not calling you Uncle Leroy.” She said with a small smile.

“I’m glad,” Gibbs said with a chuckle.

Jack noticed the upset look on the girl’s face.

“Leroy, what’s the matter?” he asked, crossing the room.

Gibbs turned back to Joanna. 

“If something happened to you, don’t be afraid to tell me. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Joanna looked at him. He could see the fear in her eyes.

“I-it’s Ian. He’s in big trouble.”

“Your Mom brought him home today. He’s not in trouble anymore.”

“No, it’s not that. Some of his friends came to the shop today. I was on the phone with him, helping him fix the register. I heard them break a bunch of stuff, and threaten to kill Ian if he said anything.”

“Anything about what?”

“I don’t know.”

“Did they say anything else? A name?" 

“No, but they made Ian go with them. I haven’t seen him since.” She started to tear up again. “I don’t want Ian to die!” 

Jack put an arm around his granddaughter. 

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. He’s not going to die.” 

Gibbs leaned over and whispered in his father’s ear. Jack nodded in understanding.

“Joanna, why don’t we go into the kitchen and make some hot chocolate?” 

She nodded and went with Jack. As soon as they were out of earshot, Gibbs took out his phone and dialed his sister’s phone number.

_“What the hell do you want?”_

“I thought you’d like to know that your daughter’s carpool dropped her off at my house after school.”

_“What? Why in God’s name would she do that? Is she all right?”_

“She’s fine. She’s in the kitchen with my father, making hot chocolate.”

_“I’m coming to get her right now.”_

“Lena, I need to ask you a question, and do not take this the wrong way. Where’s Ian?”

_“Why the hell do you want to know?”_

“I’m trying to help you!” he shouted. “Your son got himself involved with the wrong people, Lena. He could be in more trouble than you realize. I need to know where he is.”

_“I-I know those friends of his like to hang out in Anacostia. He never tells me exactly where he’s going.”_

“Does Ian have a car?”

_“I let him drive my work van.”_

“Okay. What’s the license plate of your van?”

Lena rattled off the plate number.

“Listen to me very carefully. I’m going to give you directions to my house. Come straight here. Dad is here with Joanna. If I'm not here when you get here, Dad is going to let you in. Lock all the doors and don’t let anyone in the house. Can you do that?”

_“Yeah. I can do that, Jethro.”_

“Good.” 

Gibbs gave her concise directions to his house, and then hung up. He joined Jack and Joanna in the kitchen.

“Is everything all right, Leroy? I heard shouting.”

“Lena is coming over.”

“You called her? You said you wouldn’t tell!”

“I didn’t have a choice, Joanna. Your brother is involved with dangerous people. I can’t risk you guys going home alone.”

“Okay.” 

Gibbs looked at his father. “Dad, why don’t you order a pizza for dinner. I have to go and make some phone calls.”

“Will do.”

Gibbs went back into the living room and called McGee’s cell phone. If he was going to find his nephew, he needed all the help he could get.

_“McGee.”_

“I need you at my house in the next 30 minutes.”

_“Everything all right, Boss?”_

“Would I be asking you to come over if it was?”

_“Good point. What’ll I tell Tony? He’s going to notice me missing from the office.”_

“Don’t tell him anything. Get up and leave right now, McGee.”

_“What about the case?”_

“Let DiNozzo handle it. Now get your ass over here, and bring your computer.”

_“On my way, Boss.”_

**TBC…**


	7. Chapter 7

When Lena arrived at Gibbs' house, there was a pizza guy approaching the front door. Lena cut him off and paid him for the pizza. As he went back to his car, Lena rapped on the front door. She expected to see Gibbs when it opened, but got the shock of her life when she came face to face with a silver-haired old man, with sparkling blue eyes, just like Jethro. 

"Dad?" she almost whispered. 

Jackson smiled and nodded. 

"Come on in, before that gets cold," he said, stepping aside to let her in. Jackson closed the door behind them and turned to take in his daughter's appearance. 

"You're as beautiful as your Mother," he said, smiling. 

Lena blushed. 

"Mom told me you were a charmer." 

Before Jackson could respond, Joanna came running from the kitchen and launched herself at Lena. 

"Mom!" 

"Are you all right?" Lena asked, hugging her daughter. 

"I'm fine, Mom." 

"Good, then you're grounded." 

"Awe, come on!" 

"What's Mom's rule number two, Joanna Beth?" 

"Always call home if you're going to be late." 

"Right. Take the pizza into the kitchen. I want to talk to Mr. Gibbs for a minute." 

Joanna took the pizza and hurried into the kitchen. 

Jackson raised an eyebrow. 

"Mr. Gibbs?" 

"I'm sorry. All this -- it's so new to me. I guess I'm a little scared of what's going to happen." 

"I have no idea, either. We can be scared together." 

Lena smiled as Gibbs appeared in the living room doorway. 

"Y-you've met." 

"Don't sound so shocked, son." 

"Is McGee here yet?" 

"No." 

"He was supposed to be here twenty minutes ago," Gibbs grumbled, taking out his cell phone. As he flipped it open, the front door opened, and McGee stepped through, laptop bag slung over his shoulder. 

"Where have you been?" Gibbs demanded. 

"Getting past Tony," Tim replied. "Do you know how hard it is to sneak out of NCIS without Tony knowing? He's like a hawk." 

Gibbs had to smile. Perhaps he'd trained DiNozzo a little too well. 

"All right. Let's get to work." 

Tim kneeled in front of Gibbs' coffee table, and set up his computer. As Jackson and Lena watched, Tim opened up a search program he'd designed himself. 

"I can search his phone records, to see who he called before he was abducted." 

"His cell number is 213-555-9345," Lena supplied. 

Tim put in the number. The search took about 30 seconds. 

"I'm showing several calls from a single number the night Ian disappeared. Lena, do you recognize that phone number?" 

Lena glanced at it. 

"No, I'm sorry, I don't." 

Tim hit a few keys. 

"Okay, I back-traced the phone number. It's a cellular account belonging to Manny Reyes." 

"Manny is Ian's best friend. They've known each other since the 2nd grade, when we moved to the District." 

"Do you have any idea why he'd call Ian that many times in one night?" 

"Actually, I do. Manny's brother, Eddie, was a bully. Ian used to come home telling me about Eddie's bullying at the bus stop and at school. When the kids got to high school, Eddie dropped out, and disappeared. His mother was devastated. No one has really talked to him since." 

"Looks like he's been talking to his brother. We have to find Eddie," Gibbs said. "Find everything you can on this Eddie Reyes." 

"His full name is Eduardo," Lena added. 

Tim nodded and started a search. 

"We'll find him, Lena," Gibbs said reassuringly. "I promise." 

~*~*~*~*~*~ 

Tony entered the squad room, a file open in his hands. 

"McProbious, how goes your computer search?" he asked without looking up from his folder. When he got no reply, he lowered the folder. Tim's desk was empty. 

"Bishop, have you seen McGee?" Tony asked as he approached Ellie's desk. She was sitting on top of it, cross-legged, engrossed in her laptop. 

"Ellie!" 

"Oh! I'm so sorry, I was zoning out. I haven't seen Agent McGee for a while." 

"Do you know where he went?" 

"No, I'm sorry." 

Tony studied her face. Her features were like stone. He couldn't tell whether or not she was lying. He nodded and turned away from her. He dropped the file on his desk and picked up his office phone, and dialed Tim's cell number. 

_"This is McGee, please leave a message and I'll get back to you as soon as possible."_

"McGee, this not answering your phone thing isn't funny. Call me back or I'll put a BOLO out on you." Tony hung up the phone and sat down at his desk. Where in the hell could Tim have gone, that he would have had to hide it from his SFA? There was only one way to find out. 

Tony got up and went over to Tim's desk. He pushed the button on Tim's desk phone, to view his call log. He didn't have to go very far to find a familiar number. He picked up Tim's desk phone and hit the redial. 

_"Yeah, Gibbs."_

"Why is McGee at your house?" 

_"I really did teach you too well, DiNozzo."_

"Are you looking for Ian, Boss?" Tony said at a whisper. 

_"Stay out of it, DiNozzo."_

"I have point on this, Gibbs. I can't let you go off on your own. Vance will have my ass!" 

_"This is family, DiNozzo. I can't let this go. You and Bishop keep looking for Carney's killer. If McGee and I happen to find him first…"_

"Don't even think about arresting him, Boss." 

_"I'll let McGee do the honors. Would that make you feel better?"_

"Very much." 

_"Good. Go do your job."_

Gibbs hung up the phone, and Tony set down the desk phone and looked up at Ellie. 

"What have you got for me, Bishop?" 

"I've been searching through Ian Summers' phone records, and he called the same cell number several times on the day he was abducted. It belongs to a kid named Manny Reyes." 

"Does he have a record?" 

"No, but his brother does…" 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

Gibbs snapped the phone shut and shoved it into his pocket. 

"How did he find out?" Tim asked 

"Did you clear your call history on your office phone?" Gibbs asked, irritated. 

"Oh no… I knew I forgot to do something. He's not coming, is he?" 

"He's working on the murder case with Bishop." 

Tim sighed in relief as his computer beeped. 

"I got a hit, Boss. Lena told me that she periodically lets Ian use her Discover card to get gas for the truck. I have a hit on the card from the night he was taken. It was at a gas station in Anacostia." 

"Good work, McGee." 

Gibbs picked up his jacket from the arm of the couch and started to put it on. 

"Where are you going, Leroy?" Jackson asked. 

"Anacostia." 

"Wait a minute, Boss. You can't go alone." 

"I don't need backup, McGee." 

"You have no idea what you're going to find, Boss." McGee got to his feet and walked over to him. "I stuck my nose in this from the beginning. I’m involved now, whether you want me to be or not, and I'm going to have your six on this one." 

Gibbs gave his Junior Agent a long look. He looked across the room. Jackson and Lena were both glaring at him. 

Is that glare a family trait? 

"All right, come on, McGee." 

Tim grabbed his coat. 

"I'm going to leave this program running," Tim told Lena. If anything unusual pops up, call me. Jackson has my cell number." 

"Will do." 

Tim turned to leave. 

"Wait, Tim?" 

He stopped and turned around. Did she just call him by his first name? 

"Thank you for helping us, and I'm sorry for the way I treated you when we first met." 

"You're welcome, and I forgive you." he said with a smile. 

"McGee!" Gibbs shouted from the front porch. 

"Gotta go." 

Tim hurried out the front door to join Gibbs. They climbed into Gibbs' car and headed off toward Anacostia. 

**TBC...**


	8. Chapter 8

The drive to Anacostia was quiet. McGee pinged Ian's cell phone, and they were following the signal to his location. Meanwhile, Gibbs was thinking about what he was going to see when they found his nephew. Would Ian be hurt? Was he really kidnapped at all? 

_If he's screwing around, I'm going to kill him._

"What's on your mind, Boss?" 

"That if this kid is screwing with us, he's going to have a lot of explaining to do." 

"Ian's no angel, but do you really think he'd fake his own kidnapping?" 

"I don't know, McGee, but it's better than thinking about the alternative." 

Tim nodded and looked down at the GPS locator on his phone. "He's moving down V street, toward Martin Luther King Ave." 

Gibbs took a corner at full speed, and Tim latched onto the door. They were about 10 minutes away from Ian. 

"He's moving fast, Boss." 

"Fast enough to be in a car?" 

"I can't tell." 

As they approached the intersection of V street and Martin Luther King Ave, a delivery van came flying around the corner, and sped off in front of them down V street. 

"There he is!" Tim exclaimed as Gibbs pressed down on the gas pedal to catch up with the truck. As they hit the intersection, another car made a left in front of them, and Gibbs slammed on the brakes as the car sped off behind Lena's van. Gibbs hit the gas and sped off behind the car. 

"I think you should call for backup, Boss," Tim said as he double-checked his seat belt. 

"Don't need it, McGee." 

"But--" 

"I don't need it." 

Tim fell silent as Gibbs started to pass the black Altima in front of them. He swerved in front of it and slammed on his brakes. The driver of the Altima hit his own brakes and came within inches of hitting the Charger. Gibbs and McGee jumped out of the car, guns drawn. 

"NCIS! Get out of the car, now!" Gibbs shouted, heading for the driver's side. The door opened, and a young man of Hispanic descent stepped out of the car, hands raised. 

"What the hell man? I was just driving home!" 

"Before or after you caught up with that van ahead of you?" 

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about!" 

"You went right through that red light back there at MLK. No one does that, unless they're following someone." 

The man's innocent face turned into a sneer. 

"I'm not the only one looking for him, Puerco. You can arrest me, but El Malvado will get that kid." 

Gibbs handcuffed him and looked up at Tim. 

"Take him back to NCIS. Call DiNozzo on your way and tell him to send backup. I'm going to borrow our friend's car." 

"You can't go by yourself, Boss... you'll get yourself killed!" 

Gibbs shoved the prisoner into the back of the Charger and slammed the door. 

"That's not a request McGee... do it! I'll be fine." 

"Okay. You call me if you need me, okay?" 

"I will, just go." 

Tim nodded and got into the Charger. Gibbs got into the Altima and started it up. After McGee took off in the Charger, he sped off in the direction Ian had gone in the van. He didn't have to go far before he saw it on the side of the road. The driver's door was hanging open. 

Gibbs pulled up behind it, and ran over, gun drawn. There was no one in the cab of the truck, so he went around to the back, and carefully pulled it open. He found nothing but flowers in the back of the refrigerated truck. 

Gibbs suddenly sensed movement behind him. Before he could turn around, he was struck on the head, and he dropped to the pavement, unconscious. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

Tony answered his cell as soon as it rang. 

"McGee, what's going on?" 

_"Gibbs and I found Ian. We caught a suspect following him, but Ian got away. I'm driving the suspect back to NCIS right now."_

"Where the hell is Gibbs?" 

_"He made me leave him there. He took the suspect's car to find Ian. Tony, you have to send backup right now. I have a feeling this is a lot bigger than just a bunch of kids in a street gang."_

"Okay, get that guy back to NCIS. I'm going after Gibbs." 

_"Will do. Be careful."_

"I'm always careful, Probie. Get that guy back here in one piece, okay?" 

_"Of course."_

Tony hung up and shouted across the bullpen. 

"McAvoy! Nelson! I need you guys as backup!" 

Agent McAvoy rose from his desk. 

"What mess have you gotten into now, DiNozzo?" 

Tony went over to McAvoy's desk, to avoid shouting across the bullpen for everyone to hear. 

"Gibbs has gone rogue. His nephew got involved in something, and he sent McGee back here with a suspect and took off by himself to find his nephew. We need to go back him up. McGee thinks there's something more going on than a couple of street thugs looking for revenge." 

McAvoy's hardened expression softened -- a little bit. 

"Okay. We'll help. Let me go tell Balboa." 

"Thanks. Nelson, try to pick up Gibbs' phone with the GPS. I want to get a location before we go out there." 

"On it." 

Nelson did some quick typing as McAvoy came running back into the bullpen. 

"Balboa is on board, and he threatened to bench us if we don't call in regularly." 

"Gotcha," Tony said, also wanting to avoid Balboa's wrath. 

"I've got him!" Nelson shouted, jumping out of his seat. "He's outside of Anacostia, and he's not moving." 

Tony ran back to his desk to grab his badge and weapon. 

"Let's go." 

~*~*~*~*~*~ 

"Welcome back, Agent Gibbs." 

Gibbs groaned and sat up. He wasn't in the street. He was in what looked like a warehouse, in some kind of office. There were three men with guns pointed at his head, and a middle-aged man sitting in the office chair, looking down at him. 

"Who the hell are you?" 

"My name is Benito Gonzalez, but my subordinates like to refer to me as El Malvado." 

Gibbs tried to stand, but he felt hands pushing him back to the floor. 

"You're not leaving yet, Agent Gibbs. We need to have a chat." 

He looked at one of the mean and said something in Spanish that Gibbs couldn't pick up. Two men yanked Gibbs to his feet, and shoved him into a chair on the other side of the small desk. He felt his hands being cuffed to the chair. 

"Now, Agent Gibbs, you're going to tell me why you took one of my men into custody." 

Gibbs remained silent. One of the men that put him in the chair pistol whipped him, leaving a mark on his cheek. 

"I'm not playing games. You interrupted one of my men and stopped him from performing his assigned duty." 

"What was that? To kill a 16-year-old kid?" 

"You mean your nephew?" 

Gibbs heard a scuffle, and the office door flew open. Two more men came in with a struggling Ian. The kid had bruises all over, and a nasty black eye forming. Gonzalez signaled to one of the men, and a knife was suddenly pressing into Ian's neck. 

"You will tell me what I want to know, Agent Gibbs, or your nephew will die." 

Gibbs looked into his nephew's terrified eyes. What in the hell did get himself involved with? 

**TBC...**


	9. Chapter 9

The room was quiet for thirty painful seconds. Ian was breathing hard, staring at Gibbs. 

"I'll give you answers, but leave him out of it. He's just a kid," Gibbs said. 

El Malvado stood and walked around the desk. 

"No one is going anywhere. Tell me what you know, Fed." 

"The only thing I know is that I'm trying to find a murderer, and that somehow whatever Ian got involved in has something to do with it." 

"I think you're lying to me." 

"I don't lie." 

Gibbs stared daggers into El Malvado. The room was silent as they sized each other up. 

"You've caught me in a generous mood today, Fed. I'll give you twenty minutes alone with your nephew, and then one of you will die." 

"How the fuck is that generous?" Ian piped up. He got a boot to his ribs for it. 

"I could kill you right now." 

"I'll take door number two, then." 

The two men holding Ian dragged him over to the desk and shoved him to the ground next to it. They handcuffed him to the leg of the desk, and everyone left the room. 

Ian looked down at his lap, ashamed. 

"Tell me what this is all about," Gibbs said. 

"I had no idea this was going to happen, I swear," he finally said, looking up at Gibbs. "This dude... he killed Manny's brother, and Manny... I knew Manny's brother was into some heavy stuff, but I had no idea it was drugs." 

"What kind of drugs, Ian?" 

"Cocaine... lots of it. I saw some guys packing it into crates when those assholes brought me in here." 

A clattering noise sounded behind Gibbs, and he pulled his hands free of the chair. 

"How did you do that?" Ian asked as Gibbs came over and squatted down next to him. 

"Rule number nine." 

"What?" 

"Never go anywhere without a knife." 

As he said it, Ian's handcuffs came loose and fell to the floor. He helped his nephew to his feet. 

"Why are you helping me, after the way I talked to you?" Ian asked as they moved toward the small window in the office. 

"I never turn my back on family. You shouldn't either." 

"My Mom is going to kill me, isn't she?" 

Gibbs forced the window open. 

"Probably." 

He stuck his head out the window. They were practically at ground level. He climbed out and reached in for his nephew. 

"Come on, hurry." 

Ian climbed out, and Gibbs supported him as he landed on shaky feet. They were in a complex of warehouses. It was a maze of buildings, and they were tasked with finding a way out without getting shot. 

"How are we going to get out of here alive?" 

"Stick close to me, Ian." 

To their left was a long walkway along two other buildings. To the right was open space. Gibbs could see a tall fence in the distance. Not far from it was a battered pickup truck. 

"Do you see that truck over there?" he whispered. 

"Yeah." 

"That's our ticket out of here." 

"How are we going to get across that empty lot to the truck? Neither of us has a gun. We'll be dead before we get there." 

"I have another rule," Gibbs said, dropping to one knee and pulling up his right pant leg. He unsheathed the handgun holstered to his ankle and stood. "Always carry a backup." 

"Nice." 

They moved silently to the corner of the building, flattened against the wall. Gibbs peeked around the corner. There were a few armed men guarding the entrance. They all seemed to be shooting the breeze at the moment, not paying attention. Gibbs spied some chemical drums lined up to their right. 

"Stay with me at all times. Do not run ahead of me unless I tell you to. Do you understand?" 

Ian nodded. 

"Let's go." 

Gibbs and Ian ran out and ducked under the safety of the chemical drums. Gibbs watched the men through the crack in between two drums. They were oblivious. His eyes traveled to the truck. They were only 100 feet from it. 

"We're going to make a run for the truck. Stay behind me until I say. I'm not going home to tell your mother that you're dead." 

Ian nodded. 

"Ready?" 

"No, but I don't have a choice." 

"Now." 

Ian trailed behind his Uncle as they ran across the dirt lot toward the pickup. The men noticed them this time, and one of them started shooting. Gibbs took a couple of shots with his handgun as they bolted for the pickup. One of the men went down. The other two had their weapons drawn at this point, and started shooting. 

"Run for the truck, Ian! Go!" 

Ian didn't have to be told twice. He ran ahead of Gibbs until he reached the passenger door of the pickup. He pulled the handle and was relieved to find it unlocked. He tumbled inside and slammed the door behind him. He locked both of the doors and ducked down under the windows, out of sight. 

The shooting continued for what felt like forever. Suddenly, he heard shouting, and he wondered if he'd ever see Gibbs again. As the voice got closer, he heard a familiar voice, and slowly rose up to look out the window. The men with the guns were lying on the ground, and they were being handcuffed. Ian unlocked the driver's door and got out. 

"Agent DiNozzo?" 

"It's good to see you, Ian," Tony replied. 

"Where's Gibbs?" 

Tony pointed a few yards away, where Gibbs was straddling one of the shooters, snapping the cuffs on him. 

"Am I in trouble, Agent DiNozzo?" 

"No, you're not." 

"Good." 

"Why don't you go wait in the car, Ian? I'll take you home." 

"I-I'd rather wait for Gibbs." 

Tony smiled. 

"No problem." 

Ian watched as another Agent took over for Gibbs, hauling the suspect to his feet and toward a sedan. Gibbs made his way to Ian. 

"You all right?" 

"I'm good." 

"I want you to promise me something, Ian. If I ever catch you around any kind of street gang again, I'll arrest you myself, and your Mom is not going to bail you out. Are we clear?" 

"Crystal clear." 

"Good. Ready to go home?" 

"Absolutely." 

Gibbs ruffled his nephew's hair, and they walked toward the sedan, where Tony was waiting to drive them home. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~ 

Lena paced back and forth in the living room. They'd been gone for hours, and she was starting to get worried. 

"Why haven't they called?" 

"Leroy never calls. He's better left to his own devices," Jackson said. 

The headlights of a car lit up the living room through the front window. Lena whipped around as she heard the sound of car doors opening and closing. The front door opened, and Ian walked through, followed by Gibbs. 

"Ian! Baby!" She ran to him and enveloped him in a hug. "Are you all right?" 

"I'm fine, Mom. Do you have to hug me so tight?" 

Lena let go of him and took a step back to look at him. 

"You've got bruises everywhere!" 

"They'll heal, Mom." 

She looked up at Gibbs. 

"What happened?" 

"Eddie Reyes got involved with a drug lord named El Malvado. My guess is that Manny tried to tell Ian about it, to get help, but Eddie and his friends found out." 

"What happened to Manny?" 

"They killed him, Mom... and they killed Eddie too." 

"Oh honey, I'm so sorry..." 

Ian let his Mother hug him again as sadness for his friend's death overtook him. 

"Please tell me you stopped this man--whoever he is." 

"We got him, Lena. Agent DiNozzo and the FBI led the raid on the warehouse, and El Malvado and his men are in custody." 

She nodded as she rubbed her son's back to comfort him. 

Jackson came forward to join them. 

"What happens now?" 

"I think the five of us have some catching up to do," Gibbs said. "It's not every day you find your family." 

**FINIS!**


End file.
